1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for removing arsenic and/or antimony from substantially organic liquids. This invention is particularly concerned with the removal of arsenic and/or antimony from substantially organic liquids derived from the distillation of oil shale or coal or obtained through the gasification of coal, the organic liquid containing oil shale dust or coal dust upon which the arsenic or antimony will be deposited.
This invention is concerned with the treatment of such organic liquid with hydrogen under a superatmospheric pressure and at an elevated temperature and the subsequent removal of the elementary arsenic and/or antimony--together with the oil shale or coal dust solids from the liquid.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In a known process of removing combined or elementary arsenic from liquids which have become available as a result of the gasification of solid coal or of the distillation of oil shale or coal, solids, such as oxides or sulfides or iron, cobalt, or nickel, are admixed, the mixture is treated with hydrogen at elevated temperature and superatmospheric pressure, the arsenic is permitted to deposit on the admixed solids, and the composite solid particles are removed (U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,624).
This process has the disadvantage that an extraneous solid must be admixed to provide a support for the arsenic which is to be removed. The particle size of the solid to be added must be controlled to enable the solids to be slurried in the liquid to be treated.
It is an object of the invention to avoid these and other disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a process by which arsenic and/or antimony can be removed in a simple manner from substantially organic liquids which have become available as a result of the distillation of oil shale or coal or of the gasification of coal.